Springfield Ward 3 Ald. DORIS TURNER, who chairs the Sangamon County Democratic Party, says good things about the state of the political organization even though it has not yet put up candidates for countywide offices in 2014 races.

“The Sangamon County Democratic Party is alive and well, and we continue to build from the precinct level upward,” Turner told me via email.

“I have people stop me every day wanting to become more involved,” she added. “Our social media and community presence is growing, and people are continuing to invest their time, talents and finances. It’s going to take time, and I am in it for the long haul. I am proud to say that I have the full support of Democratic elected officials, the executive committee and the central committee.”

Several days before Monday’s end of the filing period for most state and county offices, Turner had said to “watch and see” what happened during that period, when filing was due for offices of sheriff, county treasurer and county clerk. As it turned out, no Democrats are challenging for those offices. Republicans TOM CAVANAGH and JOE AIELLO are running for re-election as treasurer and clerk, respectively. Republicans JACK CAMPBELL and WES BARR are seeking the GOP nomination for sheriff.

Turner noted that people can get on the primary ballot through write-ins, or be appointed to November ballot vacancies after the March 18 primary.

Still, having nobody in those slots now doesn’t say wonderful things about the state of the party.

Of 14 Sangamon County Board races on the ballot, only three have Democratic candidates — incumbents LINDA DOUGLAS-WILLIAMS in District 20, CLYDE BUNCH in District 21 and TONY DelGIORNO in District 22. Only DelGiorno has a GOP challenger — former county board member TIM MOORE.

Primary voters elect precinct committeemen, and the county has 182 precincts. Some committeemen are appointed to serve in precincts other than where they live, but they can only get on the ballot in their home precinct.

Republicans now have 176 committeemen, and 136 filed for election. Democrats now have 116 precincts filled, and only 71 have candidates who filed to run in March.

One of those not running is attorney JIM MOODY, who was Democratic Party chairman before Turner. He is now committeeman in the Woodside 1 precinct, but said he’s too busy to continue.

Another former chairman, attorney TIM TIMONEY, didn’t file for re-election in Capital 94 precinct, but said he just got too busy to gather the signatures and plans to run as a write-in unless a hard-working replacement steps forward.

Page 2 of 3 - Timoney has a pretty good excuse for being tied up on recent weekends — his son CONNER was a starter on the Sacred Heart-Griffin High football team that won the state championship in DeKalb on Saturday.

Timoney, who said he has no problem with Turner, is also on the Springfield Civil Service Commission, and those meetings often block him from making committeemen’s meetings.

Houlihan seeks state party post

Yet a third former Democratic chairman, BILL HOULIHAN of Springfield, who is downstate director for U.S. Sen. DICK DURBIN, D-Ill., is not only running for a new term as precinct committeeman in the Capital 86 precinct, he also appears headed to the Democratic State Central Committee.

Democrats vote in the primary to elect one man and one woman from each congressional district to be on the party’s statewide central committee. Houlihan, 59, who chaired Sangamon County Democrats from 1988 to 1994, filed for the 18th Congressional District committeeman’s seat. ADONNIS SHAW, a Jacksonville alderman, also filed, but said Wednesday he submitted paperwork to withdraw. A member of the city council for eight months, he said he decided he was too busy, and backs Houlihan.

Houlihan, whose late father, JOHN HOULIHAN, served in the Illinois House from 1965-1973, said various Democratic organizations and candidates have worked well together in recent years, and with good results. He said his knowledge of campaigning and fundraising can help keep the party strong.

“I learned a lot from being with my dad,” he said. “I’ve worked with a lot of the people and learned a lot of good things over the years, and I think it’s time for me to give back.”

Other candidates for the Democratic central committee from the two congressional districts including parts of Springfield are incumbents under the old map. They are SHIRLEY McCOMBS of Petersburg for committeewoman in the 18th, Jayne Mazzotti of Taylorville for committeewoman in the 13th and Terry Redman of Wapella for committeeman in the 13th.

Surprise entrant

LANDON LAUBHAN, 33, an Oklahoma native who has lived in Springfield for nearly three years and was appointed a GOP precinct committeeman in 2012, is running for his party’s nomination for state representative in the 96th House District.

“This is a great state,” Laubhan said. “But at the present time, her desperation is subduing her greatness. … It is a desperate state in desperate times with a very large number of desperate people, and it’s insisting upon monumental change, and I can think of no people better suited, more fit to lead that charge of monumental change than those of the 96th District,” he told me.

Page 3 of 3 - He knows his race will be an uphill battle, one reason being that both the Sangamon County GOP and the House Republican Organization are backing MIKE BELL of Edinburg. Bell was an educator for 35 years and co-chairs the Project 29 committee that has pushed for a four-lane expressway between Springfield and Taylorville. House GOP Leader JIM DURKIN of Western Springs attended Bell’s Springfield announcement in October.

“Mike has demonstrated to the HRO a very, very hard-work ethic, and we like that,” said JOE WOODWARD, HRO political director.

“I was surprised that he filed,” said ROSEMARIE LONG, who chairs the Sangamon County Republicans, of Laubhan. “He has played a big part in our party since he’s come from Oklahoma, but I told him, this was not the way we do things in Sangamon County. It’s a no-no to go against the Republican Party-endorsed candidate. I did ask him to withdraw, but he refused.”

Laubhan, who is single, said voters deserve choices. He said he quit his marketing job at Capitol Radio Group to be a full-time candidate because he thinks such an important endeavor needs full attention. And he moved to Springfield, he said, because he is a Lincoln enthusiast.

He said he thinks state income tax rates should be cut in half and that too many people are addicted to entitlements. He opposes abortion, and said on guns, “I’m a pro-Second Amendment person through and through, wrapped in all its glory.”

Laubhan said he had two years of college at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva.

Also in the 96th, Democratic incumbent Rep. SUE SCHERER, D-Decatur, faces a primary challenge from GINA LATHAN of Springfield.